Community Structure
The community structure describes the composition of a community by including a number of species and their relative abundances. Different ecological communities can have rather different kinds and numbers of species living there. Communities that are near the equator are generally home to the most notable species, whereas communities that are closest to the poles are usually home to the fewest species.
The Structure of the Trophic Pyramid
The trophic pyramid is a common structure found in all biological groups. Each pyramid comprises four or five layers. Food energy is passed from one food chain to the next. It requires a large number of species at a particular trophic level to support those in the next level since every level of the pyramid loses energy to heat. Autotrophs are the basis species in every biological community; they are organisms that directly obtain heat from the sun through photosynthesis. Heterotrophs are the species that make up the remainder of the pyramid.
Animals can have more than one meal at a time depending on their developmental stage. A normal food chain has four or five links, with autotrophs at the base and carnivores at the top as the top predator. But many organisms eat more than one species.
Food Web
Numerous species feed at different trophic levels, consuming both plants and animals. Because of this, food chains are often linked to form incredibly intricate food webs.
Animals in a society participate in interactions other than mutual consumption, such as competition for resources. Non-trophic relationships between species play an equally important role in determining the organisation of biological communities as do the trophic level food webs and food chain.
Community Ecology Definition & Examples
Community ecology is the study of the functioning and organization of the communities which are assemblages of interacting populations of species living in a particular habitat. It represents the populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time. Community ecology is the term suggested by Cornell professor Robert Whittaker in 1975.
Table of Content
- Definition of Community Ecology
- What is Community Ecology?
- Types of Community
- Community Structure
- Examples of Community Ecology
- Characteristics of a Community Ecology
- Importance of Community Ecology